Come Just For You
by Junebugsm
Summary: Stef explains to Callie that she would have followed the young girl to her foster father's house even if Brandon hadn't been involved.


**Stef explains to Callie that she would have followed the young girl to her foster father's house even if Brandon hadn't been involved.**

(This was a request by someone - sorry I forgot who - for my story **First Night Together** where Stef goes after Callie but Brandon isn't involved. I changed it up though and made it about Stef telling Callie that she would have followed anyways. Hope you like it.)

* * *

 _"I can't believe I'm actually saying this but I'm so glad that B followed her there." Stef said causing Lena to raise an eyebrow. "If he hadn't been with her I wouldn't have known where to find her."_

 _(First Night Together)_

* * *

 _"If you want to send me back to Juvie then you just promise me that Jude will be somewhere safe." Callie had said._

And that broke Stef's heart for she realized that the young girl had absolutely no self worth. All she cared about was her little brother and in that instant Callie became more than just a foster kid to Stef. Yes, Stef cared for Callie and cared about what happened to her. Yes, Stef would do what she could to help her and yes, Stef would treat her just the way she would want her children to be treated, god forbid they were ever in this situation. But now Stef also felt protective of her the way one could only be with their own children. She saw a girl that believed her sole purpose in life was to protect and care for her younger brother and Stef felt a maternal need to show this child some love as well.

* * *

"Hey" Stef said as she entered the living room where Callie was folding up the blanket she'd used at night.

"Hi." Callie said cautiously as she quickly glanced towards the bathroom where Jude was taking a bath.

"Sit for a minute." Stef requested and watched as Callie carefully laid down the blanket and settled onto the couch.

Callie had no idea what was coming. Stef and Lena had already told them they could stay so now Callie was even more nervous - what was their punishment going to be?

"There's something important I want to say to you and I really need to you listen and believe me." Stef said.

Callie frowned. This was definitely not how she expected Stef to start. This didn't sound like a punishment unless they had a new way that she'd never encountered before.

"Brandon followed you yesterday." Stef said and was immediately cut off by Callie.

"I shouldn't have let him come." Callie said quickly. "I'm sorry. I didn't know he had a gun. He never had one before I went to Juvie. If I had any idea I would never have let him come. I promise. I never meant for anything bad to happen to him."

Stef waited patiently for Callie to finish even though she didn't blame Callie for what had happened - not anymore.

"Brandon followed you yesterday." Stef repeated, when Callie finally gave her a chance. "He's stubborn and when he sets his mind on something it's usually very hard to change it." She paused for a moment and then smiled at the girl before adding, "He gets that from me I guess."

Stef felt her heart swell when a small smile graced Callie's face as well.

"I'm glad that he did." Stef said making that smile instantly disappear and be replaced by a surprised frown.

"What?" Callie asked rather abruptly.

"I'm not glad about the situation but I am glad that he didn't let you do it alone." Stef clarified. "It was incredibly stupid to try and do it alone on both your parts, which I also let him know, but I'm glad he didn't let you go alone."

Callie remained quiet, she had no idea what to say. She had no idea how to respond because no one had ever, in her entire life, been thankful that someone took their son to a place where a gun was aimed at them.

"If Brandon hadn't followed you then I wouldn't have known where to find you." Stef said, reading the confusion on Callie's face. "And by the time I figured out that you had a brother still living there it might have been too late." She added.

Stef then paused. This next part was the important part and she wanted Callie's full attention for it.

"I want you to listen carefully and I want you to try hard to believe me because this is important." Stef said when she could see that Callie was waiting for her to continue. "I would have come anyways." She said firmly. "Even if Brandon had been home, I would have come after you."

Just as Stef predicted Callie didn't look convinced. She believed that Stef was just saying what was right whether it was true or not.

"I would have Callie." Stef said firmly. "I didn't just come because of Brandon. I was able to find you because of him but I would have come regardless."

Something on Callie's face softened and Stef hoped she was getting through.

"We brought you back home and we brought Jude too and you're both staying here." Stef said. "We wouldn't have done that if you weren't important."

This time Stef was sure she was getting through because Callie's eyes gave her away. They filled with hope - hope that, at least for a while, they had landed with people who actually cared, actually loved and maybe, just maybe, the Jacob siblings would have a little time to just recoup. However long it lasted, it was precious time that they both desperately needed.

"I mean it Callie." Stef said, digging a little deeper, hoping to bury her word deep inside where Callie wouldn't forget them quite so easily. "You are important. Just as important as Brandon or Jude and you deserve the very same as you have done for that boy and don't you ever forget that."

Callie nodded slightly, indicating that she had heard and was trying to believe. She didn't quite believe it yet but she was trying and even just that little bit gave her a warm, fuzzy feeling. All these years she'd trained herself to stay strong, stay brave, show indifference, but it was hard when someone was saying these things to you and even harder when they showed it in their actions. Callie hoped like hell that this wasn't just an act to get her lower her defenses.

"Take a break." Stef said, as though reading Callie's mind. "You're safe and you can just relax and next time remember, you can come to us with a problem, we will help you fix it and it doesn't have to be for anyone else. We'll come just for you if you need it."

Stef then wanted to hug the girl in front of her. She could see the tears trapped behind stubborn eyes and the twitch behind the ridged posture but she didn't. She would wait until Callie felt safe enough to come willingly. Until then she'd just keep showing her the love and support that she talked about and hopefully, over time, Callie would grow to trust.

Stef settled for just giving her a pat on the shoulder before getting up off the couch and heading into the kitchen where Lena was making dinner. With one quick glance back before she turned the corner she saw a lone tear slowly make it's way down Callie's cheek as the young brunette glanced at the blond as well.


End file.
